ABC Boss Not Spooked by Grey's Anatomy "Ghost" Story

The final day of the Television Critics Association winter press tour kicked off with ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson tackling such tough subjects as the ever-changing broadcast business model, the fate of the three-camera comedy, and ... whether he 'ships Izzie-Dead Denny.

"Listen, the viewers will be the judge; that's the good and the bad of this business," McPherson said when asked for his take on the controversial Grey's Anatomy storyline. "I think that when you get to the end of the season, you'll see everything that [Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes] had in mind. It might not be your cup of tea, but I think you will be surprised at how insightful and actually smart the storyline is in terms of the dynamics that it's creating for the characters who are involved, and where we end up with those characters at the end."

Since the season premiere, Katherine Heigl's Izzie has seen, talked to and yes, had hot, loud and sweaty sex with her deceased fiancé (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Though McPherson reiterated that Denny is not appearing as a ghost to Izzie, he refused to comment any further on the ultimate direction of the storyline.

"When you're talking about long-term serialized dramas, there's going to be some stuff that people don't respond to," he acknowledged. "You put it out there and see what works and doesn't work."

McPherson hailed Rhimes as "one of the most — if not the most — talented woman writer out there right now. She's responded to the criticism incredibly well."

What is McPherson's suggestion to those who don't think the spooky story has a ghost of a chance of wrapping up well? "Watch the show."